What Is Love
by LeanaVine
Summary: It's Castiel's first Valentine's Day on Earth. Even after being explained to by Sam how stupid the holiday is these days, Cas is determined to make the most of it. It would help if he knew what he was supposed to do on the day. (Includes Man/Man. Destiel, Dean/Castiel. Slight Sastiel, Sam/Castiel.)


**A/N: **Okay, so originally, this was meant to be a oneshot, but then I got this far (about 17 pages) and I was maybe halfway done with it, and I starting thinking _'No way in hell can a oneshot be like 34 pages.' _I mean, they can, I guess…it just feels weird to me. So anyway, this became a mulit-chapter fic, though it won't have many chapters. Maybe two or three.

Oh, and I'm meaning for this to be around the time that Castiel first appeared, if that wasn't apparent. So if he acts weird, that's why.

As always, I do not share any views expressed by any characters in this story. And I own nothing in this story.

Please read, review, and enjoy.

* * *

Castiel waited patiently for his human companions to awaken and start their day. This motel room wasn't one of the nicer places the Winchester brothers had stayed, Castiel thought, sitting at a small table in the foyer. The wallpaper was a forest green – not the most attractive color – and the carpets were camel and looked dingy. Too many people had passed through his room, even Castiel knew that. He glanced at the digital clock on the microwave above the mini fridge. The sooner Dean and Sam woke up, the better.

A light came on in the bathroom, taking Castiel by surprise. He hadn't been aware that either of the brothers had gotten up. He glanced towards the beds and saw that Dean was still passed out, a tangled mess in the blankets. For a second, he smiled, and then it faded away. He could hear the shower starting up in the bathroom, and decided that this wouldn't be the best time to walk in on Sam.

That was when Castiel decided that he should surprise the men, since they'd been working so hard lately. He disappeared suddenly, taking flight towards a local fast food restaurant. He landed outside, straightened his jacket, then walked inside. The establishment was open, but no one was sitting at the tables. It was just before eight in the morning, and Castiel assumed that most humans must still be asleep at that time. He walked up to the front counter and looked around. He could hear people in the back, starting up machines for cooking with. There was a little bell on the counter, and Castiel decided to tap it. It resounded with a soft _ding_, and things in the back of the restaurant got rather quiet.

After waiting a minute or two, a young man came out, tying on his apron. "Hey man, can I help you?" He was a bit shorter than Castiel, and couldn't have been older than twenty. Short, black hair curled around his face, and his deep, chocolate eyes were wide, despite how tired he looked.

Castiel gave a small nod. "That is what I am hoping for, young man." The younger man laughed a little, but Castiel didn't understand why. "What kind of food items do adult men eat?

He didn't understand the confused look on…Paul's face – so his nametag identified him as. "Umm…" Paul scratched his head, which Castiel thought was probably a health code violation. But then again, this man wouldn't be handling the food, so Castiel assumed it would be all right. "Well, right now we're serving breakfast, but we have dinner items too."

With his brows furrowed, Castiel asked, "What is the difference, exactly?"

Paul froze again, then he laughed. "Are you serious, man?" Castiel didn't understand why this young man kept questioning him so much. All he wanted was food for his human friends. Was that too large of a request?

Finally, Castiel had run out of patience, and he sighed, pointing at the pictures of food above Paul's head. "Give me a couple of those, I suppose."

Paul turned to look back, as if he'd forgotten what types of food they served. It seemed like he was thinking, then replied, "Oh, okay. So burgers." He turned back around, punching things into the computer screen in front of him. "What do you want on them?"

Castiel was confused again. "What are my options for that?" He had remembered seeing vegetables on Dean's burgers before, but he wasn't exactly sure what they were.

The teenager shrugged his shoulders, and sighed loudly. "I could give you everything on them. They come with mustard." He paused, raising an eyebrow at Castiel. "Do these…_adult _men the burgers are for, do they like mustard?"

Castiel returned the expression. "I'm not sure. _Do_ they?" He had never thought this would be so complicated. Sam had never taken this long before when he ran in to fast food establishments to procure food.

Paul already looked obviously exhausted from their conversation, pushing more buttons on his screen, a bit more fiercely. "I'll just say they like mustard." Castiel didn't understand his hostility. He couldn't be expected to know exactly what he was doing his first time ordering fast food. "Okay, do you want fries too? And drinks?" Castiel simply nodded to avoid any more hassle. Paul nodded back, pressing a few more buttons. "Alright dude, your food'll be ready soon." A small machine spat out a long piece of paper, which Paul handed to Castiel. "You're number one today, congrats." The sarcasm was heavy in his voice.

Castiel just took the paper, not too sure what to do with it. He just stared at it for a second, then began to read it. It offered a coupon at the end if he came back. Castiel wasn't too sure why they added that. Couldn't they just be happy to have his business the first time? There was no way he was coming back to go through this again. Even so, Castiel stuck the paper in the pocket of his trench coat.

A few minutes later, Paul returned with a brown paper bag, placing it on the counter. He looked at Castiel and said, "Number one." For a second, Castiel had forgotten that he was number one, but then remembered his title, coming forth to claim the bag. "That's eleven eighty," Paul told him, a very unenthused look dragging his face down. When he saw that Castiel was confused, he said, "Dollars. Eleven dollars and eighty cents."

Castiel nodded, reaching into his pocket. "Yes, of course." He pulled out a small billfold, which contained the "emergency money" Sam had provided him. Castiel had gotten in trouble too many times for going places and getting things for the Winchester brothers without paying, so Sam made sure to provide him with money in case he decided to shoplift again. Castiel didn't mean to, obviously. For an angel, he was a bit clueless about what was right and wrong. He handed over all of the money at once, and Paul sighed because Castiel had handed him way too much. First, he gave back the extra money, then deposited the rest in the register, giving Castiel his change. As Castiel put the money in his pocket, Paul handed him two plastic cups and said, "Have a good day," before retreating back into the kitchen.

When he looked into the cups and saw that they were empty, Castiel was disappointed. He was going to ask why these cups had not been filled with the dark liquids that Sam and Dean usually drank, but he didn't want to shout, so instead he left, taking flight so quickly that Paul's computer screen malfunctioned and the lights flickered.

Castiel reappeared sitting across from Sam at the little two-seater table in their motel room. The papers in Sam's hands rustled, and he jumped slightly upon seeing the angel. "Hey Cas, morning," he breathed, a smile coming to him after the initial shock faded. He noticed the brown, paper bag that Castiel set on the table and eyed it curiously. "What's in the bag? Did you buy food?" The large grease stain on the bottom of the bag indicated such a thing was possible.

With a nod, Castiel pulled out two burgers and two cardboard cups of fries, laying it all out on the table. After this action, Dean lazily rose up in bed, balancing on his left arm. "I smell food," he announced, making Sam chuckle.

"Yeah, Dean. Cas was nice enough to get us some breakfast," Sam called his way. He returned to looking at the papers he had on the table, eating a fry.

Dean shambled in, and Castiel noticed that he was still fully dressed, even wearing his shoes. It couldn't be very comfortable sleeping like that, Castiel thought, and Dean's posture as he leaned against the archway made that hard to debate. Dean rubbed a rough hand across his eyes, and took in another whiff. "It doesn't smell like breakfast food, though."

Sam laughed at Dean's reaction to being surprised with food. "No, he got us burgers." He turned back to look at Cas, who appeared befuddled. "Usually we eat burgers for lunch or dinner, not breakfast. Breakfast tends to be eggs and bacon."

Castiel looked down at the food he'd gotten, and it was obvious he was disappointed. He'd went through a lot for this smelly, greasy food, and he hated to think that he'd made a mistake. His heart was lifted slightly, though, to see Dean reach out, taking one of the burgers wrapped in paper. "Hell Sam, food is food. We'd be eatin' grease either way." He took a large bite, and seemed to enjoy it, much to Castiel's satisfaction. The angel was a bit taken aback, however, to see Dean cast a smile and a wink his way. Cas turned his eyes back down to the table, not staring as he usually did.

Dean pulled up a chair next to Sam in order to look over his shoulder. "Please tell me you don't have anything planned for today," he groaned, mouth full of another bite of burger. He paused then to give the burger a long look, and something in Castiel's intestines tensed with worry. "Cas, you remembered mustard. I'm touched." The pressure subsided, and Castiel silently thanked Paul for being considerate enough to include mustard on the burgers.

"Sorry to ruin your day, Dean, but we do have a case," Sam told him, pulling out his laptop and turning it on. He rolled his eyes when his older brother plummeted his forehead towards the table. "Dean, come on. Grow up a little bit."

Dean grumbled and sat back up, throwing a fry at Sam, which hit his nose. "You can't do this to me," Dean complained. "I've got better things to do today." He took some mustard from his burger on the tip of his index finger and smeared it across Sam's cheek, raising a loud "yuck" from his younger brother. "And don't tell me to grow up. I'm older than you."

Castiel swallowed, now happy that Sam had decided not to eat his burger. From what he could tell, Sam didn't care too much for the yellow sludge. Castiel had to admit that it didn't look very appealing, smudged in a dirty streak across Sam's face. But, to refute, there was a certain charm about a dab of the condiment in the corner of Dean's lips. Finally, he remembered the question he had been wanting to ask. "What is so important about today, Dean?"

Both the brothers looked over at their angel friend, and Sam sighed while Dean's smile grew. "Well, I'm glad you asked, Cas." He sat up straight, folding his hands as if he was about to school Castiel in something important. "Today is a holiday that we like to call _Valentine's Day_."

Castiel cocked a brow, mumbling, "Valentine…" not thinking he remembered the name at first, then it came back to him. "You're referring to the Feast of Saint Valentinus?"

Dean's smile faded, and was replaced by heavy confusion. Sam laughed, and now he was the one to grin. "Yes, that's the day, Cas."

Waving away Sam's comments, Dean asked, "Who's Saint Valentinus? I'm talkin' about Valentine's Day."

"Valentine's Day was named after Saint Valentinus, or Saint Valentine, as some people call him," Sam clarified. He turned to Cas, watching Castiel's face in order to determine if he was getting his facts straight. "He was like one of the very first saints, wasn't he?"

Castiel nodded. "Yes, and his story is indeed a tragic one." He almost smiled when he noticed that Dean looked geared up for story time. "His name was Valentinus, and he was a brave man. He went against the wishes of the church, and he would secretly marry soldiers, even though he knew it was wrong. Love was very important to Valentinus, and in the end, he died for it. The Romans executed him for his crimes of passion." Castiel looked down at the table sadly.

Noticing this, Sam turned to Dean to finish Castiel's story. "People already celebrated February 14th as a day for feasting, but since St. Valentine died on that day, they changed it up, calling it the Feast of Saint Valentine, in order to celebrate his view on how important love is, and how someone should risk everything for the sake of love."

Dean laughed a little. "Well, that's certainly not what it means anymore." He turned to Castiel, who now looked up at him again. "Now it's just a day for gettin' candy and hookin' up."

Castiel was confused then, mumbling a question about what exactly "hookin' up" meant, but Sam shook his head, saying, "Don't even pay attention to Dean, Castiel. He doesn't get it, what all Valentine's Day is supposed to be." He clicked keys on his laptop, searching up something he'd seen on a page in the newspaper. "What people've made it into today is just stupid. I hate having to put up with it every year."

Dean pushed Sam's shoulder, grunting, saying, "You're such a sour puss. Don't give Castiel the idea that Valentine's Day sucks." Sam looked like he was about to reply, but Dean held up a hand, saying, "You know the only people that complain about Valentine's Day? Single guys that have no chance of gettin' laid. You guys ruin today for everyone."

Sam chortled, but his tone was angry when he responded, "Keep talking, Dean. Because no matter what you say, you're coming with me to check this out. Sorry bro, but it looks like I'm your valentine today."

Dean scrunched up his nose. "Sick." He turned to find his jacket, then remembered he was still wearing it. "Whatever, where do you want me to go?"

A few more clicks of his mouse, and Sam responded, "There's some local health spa where a woman choked to death on the massage table."

"So?" Dean asked, furrowing his eyebrows. "How is that supernatural?"

Sam turned in his chair, giving him a look like "come on, Dean." When Dean shrugged at him with big eyes, Sam asked in a no-nonsense kind of voice, "How many times do you hear about people dying during a massage? And it's not like she was strangled," he pointed at the article on his screen, "she just randomly choked to death. What is there to choke on during a massage?"

With a sigh, Dean grabbed his keys and headed for the door. "Okay, I'll go to the spa, you check out the coroner's office." And then he was gone, the door shuddering in the frame after he closed it behind him.

Sam attempted to speak, but just stuttered, and let his hands fall to his sides. "How does he expect me to get there?"

Without saying anything, Cas looked at him quickly, and reached across the table to press two fingers to Sam's forehead. Suddenly, they were both standing outside the coroner's building, and Sam was coughing, doubled over with his hands on his knees. "How the hell did Dean ever get used to that?" He leaned back up, paused, and he smiled, but then tugged at his shirt. "I can't go in there, Cas. You didn't let me put on my suit first."

Cas was quiet, then the thought came to him. "Wear Jimmy's clothes."

When he saw that Cas was starting to pull off his trench coat, Sam held up his hands, almost shouting, "Woah, woah! No!" Cas paused, not sure what he'd done wrong, and Sam laughed nervously, rubbing his palm on his cheek. "I'm pretty sure we're not the same size…" After another minute of debating, knowing he didn't want to have Castiel transporting him anymore than necessary, he sighed, saying, "Okay, but not here. Let's go in a bathroom."

Sam led the way to the men's room, and once inside, he lightly pushed Cas into a stall, then took one himself. "Just hand over your coat, jacket, shirt and tie. I don't want to attempt switching pants." Castiel nodded, then started to take the clothes off his vessel. A shirt came over the wall of the stall, and Sam said, "You can wear my shirt, so you won't be bare-chested."

Castiel took the shirt, setting it on top of the toilet paper dispenser, then continued to undress. As he unfastened the buttons of his white shirt, he cleared his throat then asked, "Sam, what do humans do on Valentine's Day now that you hate so much?"

There was silence, and Castiel just waited for the answer. He copied Sam's action from before, passing his clothes over the top of the stall. Once he received the clothes, Sam replied, "It's just not what it should be. Valentine died trying to protect the basis of love. These days, people exploit Valentine's Day as a reason to get laid."

After he had pulled Sam's shirt over his head, he exited the stall and waited for Sam. "So how do people initiate these mating rituals? Is there a special process since it is Valentine's Day?" As he spoke, he studied the pattern on his shirt. It was black, and the design on the front was faded. Though it was hard to tell looking at it upside down, Castiel was pretty sure that the words read Guns n' Roses, and many roses clad with thorns wound around the script.

"Damn, Castiel, I never noticed before how much smaller you were than me. I mean, do you have any muscle mass at all? It can't be healthy to be this skinny." He sounded like he was struggling, and Castiel found it slightly amusing, because he found the clothes he wore day to day to be rather loose on him.

After a minute or two more, Sam emerged, smiling a little from how tight Castiel's clothes were on him, taut over his muscles which showed so well through the white shirt that he might as well have been topless. "I feel like if I flex, I'll rip out of this like Bruce Banner." He wondered if anyone would question the fact that he was still wearing blue jeans and converses.

Castiel raised a brow. "Who is Bruce Banner? A friend of yours?"

Sam turned back around to explain, but then he stopped, his smile fading and his eyes glued to his shirt, so big on Castiel's slim figure. He'd only ever seen Castiel wearing his suit and trench coat, and it was admittedly _really nice _seeing him in something else for a change. It was an extreme added bonus that this was Castiel in _his_ Guns n' Roses t-shirt. He suddenly felt the need to see Castiel in a pair of his sweatpants too, all snuggled up in bed asleep. Then Sam remembered that Castiel never slept, and startled himself with the thought, _"I'd just settle for having him in bed at all."_ He choked and turned away, worrying Castiel slightly. Now Sam could understand what his older brother saw in the short angel. _"Fuck, keep it together."_

Without skipping a beat, Sam stood up straight, not looking directly at Castiel, answering his first question. "On Valentine's Day, you're supposed to show that one person you care about the most how you feel. You give them different kinds of presents, like balloons or stuffed animals. Chocolate is probably the most popular Valentine's Day gift." He paused to clear his throat. "But you give this person a gift to show them how much they mean to you, or how much you want to be with them." Castiel nodded, then paused, eyes narrowing at Sam. Sam tensed visibly, his shoulders more rigid. "What?" he asked.

Castiel stepped closer, zeroing in on his tie around Sam's neck. "That doesn't look quite right." He hardly noticed that Sam took in a sharp breath as he reached forward, taking the tie in his hands. Castiel did notice, however, that Sam seemed to be getting increasingly nervous by the second. He wondered why as he adjusted the blue tie, having learned some time ago the proper way to tie a tie. When he stepped back, away from Sam, the taller man let out a breath, which turned into a cough at the end. He nodded to Castiel and they walked out.

Before they could get into the coroner's office, Sam paused, turning back to Castiel. "Wait." He looked the angel over again, and Castiel thought he saw Sam bite his lip. "Maybe you should wait outside. You're not really dressed to be my partner right now." Castiel gave a nod and stayed put as Sam knocked and went in, leaving the door partially open. "Good evening, my name is Agent Walter Burton, FBI. Would you mind if I asked you a few questions about the death of Barbara Harris?"

Castiel could hear another voice respond, "Oh, yes, please, take a seat." Then there was silence, and he assumed the coroner had stopped to inspect Sam's appearance.

Sam laughed nervously. "It's casual Friday."

* * *

Castiel waited on a park bench outside of the building. After having to excuse himself from being in the way of three people at three different instances, he had decided to move outside where he wouldn't be a bother to anyone. As he waited on Sam to finish his business, his mind dwelled on what Sam had said earlier, about giving a gift to the person you cared about most. Part of Castiel was rather intrigued by this holiday, regardless of what Sam thought. He started to wonder about who he might care about the most, and he knew that it would have to be one of the Winchester brothers.

_"Let's see…"_

Sam was a very compassionate human being, regardless of what all other angels thought of him. He had a good heart, and it was plain to see how much he looked up to his older brother. He was also strong willed, enough so that he would go his own way to prove that he was right. No one could tell Sam no, and Castiel liked his moxie. Was that the right word? Yes.

And then there was Dean. Dean, with his love for pie and women. He really was a teenage boy trapped in the body of a man. His determination to do right by his family, and his willingness to be what was right for the world and not just himself, and his need to make his father proud, even after he was gone – it all made Castiel wonder if he ever had a day when he just thought about himself. Well, apparently he did, and that day was Valentine's Day. Plus, Castiel had always thought both the Winchester brothers were handsome, but there was a different appeal to Dean. Perhaps it was those green eyes, the eyes he'd stared into so many times, trying to read what was there.

Then, Castiel's decision was final. It was Dean.

Dean Winchester.

* * *

Castiel stood when Sam finally exited the building, looking like he was about to say something. The angel stopped him before he could, zapping him back to his motel room. Then Castiel took flight, appearing next outside of a little convenience store, walking inside without skipping a beat. He walked straight up to the counter, asking the little blonde, "Do you still have gifts for Valentine's Day?"

She nodded, pointing towards the back of the store. "There's a whole isle of it back there. I'm not sure what all we still have, though. It could be slim pickin's."

He nodded back at her in thanks, then turned, making his way to the area which she was talking about. Castiel found plenty of stuffed animals with fluffy hearts sewn to their hands, boxes of chocolate, and fake roses with hearts printed on the petals. He picked up a stuffed frog that held a heart with the writing 'Kiss me, I'm a Prince.' He grimaced. "This is to be an adequate show of my feelings?" He put the frog back carelessly. "Perhaps if I had just met Dean on the street…" Many of the boxes of candy had 'Be Mine' written on them. Castiel shook his head. "I don't wish to take _possession _of Dean; I just want to tell him I care about him and that he has beautiful eyes."

This search continued for a while, and Castiel wondered if he was ever going to find anything, when a large pair of eyes caught his attention. He came closer, picking up the purple box for closer inspection. Inside was a chocolate owl with large, white chocolate eyes. He also had a yellow beak and held a red heart, and Castiel wondered for a moment how yellow and red chocolates were made. Then he noticed that imprinted on the heart were the words 'You're a Hoot.' He raised an eyebrow, not quite understanding.

The blonde girl at the counter didn't hear Castiel approaching, so she jumped when he suddenly asked her, "What is the meaning of the writing on this owl's heart?"

"Jesus- Christ, you scared me!" she said, holding a hand to her heart.

Castiel actually smiled at that, thinking, _"Not quite, but you're close, human woman."_

She hesitated a moment, then took the chocolate owl that Castiel was holding out towards her. With a quick adjustment of her glasses, and a squinting of her eyes, she read the words to herself, and she smiled. "You're a hoot. That's a cute way of sayin' someone is funny, or that they're fun to be around." She looked up at him, pointing to the owl. "Are you buyin' this?"

He gave it a moment's thought, then nodded, pulling out his emergency money. She told him the price, and even though it was only two dollars, he still handed her all of his money, because neither Sam nor Dean had taught him the difference between each currency yet. She seemed a bit confused, but went along with it, giving him back all the money she didn't need before giving him his change. She passed the owl over the counter in a little pink bag. When he looked up at her in confusion, she smiled, saying, "Well, it's gotta be wrapped nice."

* * *

"Dean, would you calm down already? I'm sure everything's fine." Sam sighed, watching his brother pace around their room with a distressed look on his face. After Castiel had abruptly disappeared, Sam and Dean (Dean more than Sam) had gotten worried that something bad could be happening.

Dean shook his head. "Castiel disappears all the time, but why would he just send you back here all the sudden before takin' off? I'm tellin' you, Sam, I don't have a good feeling about this." At first he'd been a little conserved about his concern for their angel friend, but after an hour had gone by, he didn't give a damn anymore. Sam most likely already knew how he cared for Cas, so why hide it any longer?

Just as Sam was saying, "You're starting to get ridiculous, Dean," a gust of wind came through the room, and Castiel was standing behind Sam, who sighed and murmured, "Thank _God_."

Castiel swallowed when Dean stomped over to him, a glare pulling down his eyebrows, now tightly knit. "Where the hell have you been, Cas? We- **I've **been worried sick as a dog about you, thinkin' all the worst shit that I possibly could."

Dean's hatred melted away when Castiel gave him that sad, puppy dog look, with the big, shiny, blue eyes and that bottom lip slightly pouting – Dean had to wonder if Castiel intended to make that face. "I'm sorry that I worried you, Dean," he said, his voice quiet and fearful. "Don't be angry; I had to get something for you."

That caught Sam's attention too. Dean smiled, relaxing a little, then he finally noticed Castiel's attire. His eyes widened, and he swallowed, asking, "Whose shirt is that?"

"Mine," Sam replied, a bit too quickly. "It's- it's my shirt. …We had to switch clothes." He, too, was back to ogling Cas in that shirt. He'd discarded Castiel's clothes not long after returning. Sam had genuinely been afraid of damaging the clothes if he moved to quickly.

Dean's smile spread to a pervy grin. "It…looks good on you, Cas." He couldn't help thinking Castiel would look even better in his favorite AC/DC shirt…maybe a pair of boxers… He shook his head, looking back at Cas' face. "Anyway, what'd you have to get?" Dean was thinking it'd better be good, considering the worry Cas had put him through.

Castiel's expression brightened, and he held up the pink bag he'd been holding that whole time. Somehow, it'd gone unnoticed by the brothers, as if they were otherwise preoccupied mentally… His anticipation was building. This could've been the very first time Castiel was ever excited for anything.

Both Dean and Sam thought his expression was absolutely adorable and breathtaking.

Dean was a bit surprised to see the bag and took it gingerly. "You got me a gift? Why?" First breakfast, and now a little pink bag. Dean didn't smell any kind of pastries in the bag, so he was very curious as to what it could be. Cas had only ever given him food before. He saw that the angel was just waiting on him, hands clutched together in front of him, eyes big and shiny. God damn, Dean didn't want that face to ever go away. Even so, he opened the bag, pulling out a slim, purple box. His reaction wasn't everything Castiel had been hoping it would be. Dean's eyes widened, and he said, "Damn, those are some big ass eyes."

Castiel frowned a little. "He's got nice eyes, like you." The look on Dean's face then was more of what he'd been wanting to see: shock, mixing with a slowly forming blush, and quickly bowing his head to hide his embarrassment.

Sam got up to stand by his brother, looking over his shoulder at the chocolate owl. "You're a hoot?" He half smiled, and his eyes went back to Castiel, who looked a bit fearful for what Dean might think.

"It means you are fun to be with," Castiel clarified. Sam nodded in understanding then tried to hide his growing smirk, thinking there was no way the angel could be any more endearing, while also wishing he'd been the one to get the sweetest valentine he'd ever seen. Castiel took a step closer to Dean, who was trying to hide his face, getting ever redder by the second, his blush beginning conquest towards his ears. "I do enjoy the time that I spend with you, Dean. I have come to love those times more than any others." He swallowed. "I care more about you than anyone else, Dean. You mean very much to me."

Sam sniffled, pretending like he was holding back tears, and Dean elbowed him hard in the ribs. With a groan, Sam decided this was a good time to leave, and mumbled something about going to see a movie, then left. Now Castiel and Dean were alone, and Castiel was still waiting to hear what Dean thought about his gift and his words. "Dean…do you like the owl?"

"Are you fuckin' kidding? I love this thing, with its huge, freaky eyes." Though he sounded hostile, he was smiling. Dean laughed, then commented, "In a way, he looks like you. He just stares."

Castiel pushed on. "So…you do like it?"

A moment of silence passed them by before Dean was grabbing Castiel in a tight hug. The angel was so surprised by it that he almost pushed Dean away, but he froze instead. When Dean reached a hand up to tangle in his hair, Castiel shuddered, and Dean was very happy to hear the sound. "I _love _the owl, Cas. He's great, thank you."

Castiel relaxed slightly, and Dean could feel the tension ease from his shoulders. "Good. I'm glad, Dean." Dean couldn't help but grin, feeling that Castiel was okay with being held this way. He didn't know that it was what Cas had been hoping for.

* * *

**A/N: **I hope you guys like this. I need to start watching Supernatural again. Season 5's ending hurt me pretty bad, and my friend told me that it gets better, but also worse, so I've just taken a break for like…a few months. I hope I still capture the characters well, though. Okay, see you guys later. And don't forget to review so you can make it onto the wall of fame next chapter!

PS: I lied before. I do share Castiel's view that Dean is a hoot. And Sam is a graceful moose.


End file.
